What Lies East and Beyond the Sky
by Farahilde
Summary: When Gandalf said they must aid the shadows and not the light, Fili thought the world was going to end. Instead, he finds himself roped into an adventure to the uttermost east with a dwarf and elf of questionable origin, a Blue wizard, and (of course) his dear brother Kili. AU, post-BOFA.
1. Prologue

Hello! Thanks for choosing to read this fic! I hope you like it. It's a slight Alternate Universe (AU) where Fili and Kili live. Prologue's a bit short, but regular chapters will be longer. Oh, and constructive criticism is always welcome! :)

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><p><strong>What Lies East and Beyond the Sky<strong>

_Prologue_

A dropped pin could have probably been heard in the shaded meeting room within Erebor that day, five years after the Battle of the Five Armies.

Seven loudly talking mouths closed and seven pairs of eyes turned towards the elderly bearded man in gray who had raised his withered hand, calling for silence. After several tense moments, he breathed a deep sigh and raised his piercing blue eyes towards the assemblage of men and dwarves before him (an increasingly common sight in this part of the world).

He had arrived from Lothlorien in a flurry at first light, and had called for a meeting. They had answered his call. Now it was his turn to take charge.

King Bard, seated on Gandalf's left, suddenly ventured, "What is this about, master wizard?"

Ah, perfect. He could open up the topic with little difficulty.

Gandalf cleared his throat and leaned forward in his stone cold chair. "A very urgent matter, it appears. I shall make this as concise as I can, as we do not have much time to delay."

The wizard's listeners seemed to unconsciously stiffen or lean forward in their seats as well upon hearing his words.

Gandalf continued in the same grave tone, "I suppose you have heard the rumors from the West...of a great sphere of light heading east, and the four shadows that pursue it."

"Aye, most of us have," Lord Balin said, "But is there truth to this rumor, Gandalf?"

"I am afraid so," Gandalf replied. "I had expected them to continue on a straight path east towards the sea of Rhûn, but they have changed course...northeast. Straight for Dale and Erebor. I daresay they will reach us in a few days time."

At this, a new wave of mutterings and whispers ensued between the members of the council. Over the rising din, King Dain asked, "What is their business here, then, Gandalf?"

"All we know is that they are on a great chase, that they have been leaving much destruction in their wake, and that none of the attacks by the elves and men of the west have been successul in stopping them! I do not know what their interest in Erebor is, but if anything were to be targeted in these parts of the world, it would probably be something within the treasury. There are a few...special items in its catalogue, after all."

The dwarves in the chamber visibly stiffened.

"And how should we extend our aid to the light if they are truly on their way here as we speak?" Prince Fili questioned, raising a blond brow.

The Istari shook his head and fixed the dwarven prince with a look of great purpose. His eyes flitted about the rest of the council before landing on Fili once more. "It is not the light we must aid this time around, oh no. It is the shadows."


	2. They Have Come

**CHAPTER 1:  
><strong>**They Have Come**

"_Aid the shadows_, huh? Is the world coming to an end now, Gandalf?" Fili mused as he traversed the recently restored market of Dale with the wizard walking along beside him.

The edges of the old man's eyes crinkled as he caught the dwarf's jest. "Well, I certainly hope not, Fili," he said, half teasing at first but quickly growing serious.

Gandalf's words from the council rang in Fili's mind: '_I have seen them during my recent travels. It is the light that strikes - in places that house objects of power or magical origin, if I may add - a few of these being cities or towns. And the shadows are always on its tail: watching, waiting, striking soundlessly and swiftly, trying to bring it down.'_

Fili sighed and pushed away a sinking feeling in his stomach. All around them, men and dwarves bustled about, busy with their tasks, but it wasn't the cheery, optimistic sort of bustle that was all too normal in Dale nowadays. No, a tension hung in the air, a taut bowstring ready to snap at any moment.

The duo, returning from a talk with Bard, were currently giving the preparations in Dale a once over. All seemed to be in order. It had been nearly a week since the council in the halls of Erebor, and preparations were coming along well. Weapons and equipment had been procured by both parties of men and dwarves, and all the able-bodied men had been gathered and informed of the approaching threat. The women and children had begun evacuating to the safety of the Iron Hills to the east, and the last of them would be away from the vicinity by sunset today. The weapons and equipment would be sent to the camp forming at the entrance of the mountain, and the men would join the dwarves there tomorrow morning.

"Do we really not know what they are?" Fili said. He was finding it difficult to believe that the wizened wizard hadn't a clue as to what they were facing. It unsettled him, and he didn't like the feeling. He didn't like _not knowing_.

"Spirits, perhaps. Remnants of an ancient age. They move so quickly that they only appear to others as a sphere of light and streaks of shadow," Gandalf replied.

Fili pursed his lips at the remark. If the wizard was correct, and considering how the threat hadn't been taken care of by any other group, how much power did this light possess? That being said, would they even need to make contact with the shadows, or merely provide raw firepower in support?

"Although..." Gandalf began.

"Although what?"

"I daresay I-"

The man's sentence was cut short when a girl rounded the corner so sharply that Fili didn't have time to sidestep away. The full-on collision sent the girl's basket of groceries sailing through the springtime air, only to land in a messy heap on the pavement below.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, why don't ya?" the girl snapped, glowering at the prince from under the hood of her outer garb, a cloak of deepest blue with silver trim.

Only the lower half of her face was exposed. Her gaze drifted from his shocked features to the chaos of colors that was on the ground in front of her. Grumbling under her breath, she stooped to search for things that had made it out alive.

"I'm sorry, little lady," Fili said, mimicking her previous action. The girl was one or two inches shorter than he was, and judging by her beardless chin, she was most definitely not of dwarvenkind. "If you'd allow me, I would replace them at once."

At this, her head snapped up, and she proceeded to repeatedly wave her right hand in a rapid left to right, right to left motion. "No, it's okay! I can do it myself. Maybe...hm...if you wouldn't mind providing the funds, though? I've spent all my pocket money on the last batch, see."

Fili smirked at her request and sheepish grin, but had to furrow his brows soon after. It's_ 'okay'_? What did _that_ mean? Did such a word even exist in the common tongue? Taken into context though, perhaps it meant something akin to 'No, thank you.'

Well, at least he understood the rest of her reply.

"Please, I insist," he pressed agan, trying for a charming smile and succeeding (objectively speaking), though the girl was undeterred.. "I shall accompany you. If anything, the job will be done faster."

The girl was silent for a moment, obviously having a mental debate with herself whereas to allow Fili to accompany her or not.

Finally, she said, "Alright; if you insist, master dwarf."

"Fili, at your service, milady," the blond bowed. "And this here is Gandalf the Grey."

The wizard gave a nod.

"Haley, at yours."

The girl motioned to a stall decked with various kinds of foodstuff down the road and set off at a brisk pace. Fili made to follow.

Gandalf had stood watching the exchange with a small smile playing on his lips, although his narrowed eyes betrayed the confusion he felt at the same time. He'd noticed Haley's odd language as well, and none of the languages he'd heard during his time in Middle-earth used such a style. Well, he thought, he'd never been to the east. Perhaps she hailed from there.

It was hard to discern her origins by way of physical features too because she hadn't even pulled down her hood. In fact, he'd caught sight of her tugging it further forward.

Odd indeed.

Not only was it rather rude, but it set off a small alarm bell in the depths of his mind. She seemed nice, but what was she hiding?

That remained to be seen. A deformity, maybe? Or something darker...

Fili hadn't seemed to take notice. The two had begun picking out several spices and vegetables at the stall.

Moving along at a lazy pace, Gandalf followed and stood as silent as a statue next to Fili as the dwarf obediently made to retrieve whatever Haley called out from her mental shopping list.

From the piles and bunches of foodstuff, out emerged a cabbage that was at least half the size of his head, two spring onion stalks, four potatoes, two pale carrots, a pack of soup stock, and two golf ball sized bags of pepper and salt. Fili couldn't hold back a grimace. All vegetables and no meat? The idea disgusted him.

On the far right of the table, a small corner had been dedicated to pastries of all simple bake. The girl fingered a few newly baked madeleines before asking for five. Fili didn't miss her lingering gaze on a steaming pile of apple pie slices as she waited for the shopkeeper to total her purchases (or rather his, if you considered who was paying for the lot).

When the price had been yelled out amidst the din of the market, Fili asked if he could add an apple pie slice to the bill. Haley whirled her head to face him, and although he couldn't see her eyes, he could tell they had widened. He didn't know what had possessed him to buy her a slice, but Fili was a kind soul at heart. And he still felt sorry for not looking where he was going. Mulling over the approaching threat was hardly an excuse, he thought.

The dwarf winked at Haley as he handed a canvas pouch of coins to the shopkeeper, who took it gingerly and passed the girl her basket (which looked liked it had seen better days). The warm slice sat on top of the pile, the prize of the afternoon.

"Wow, um, thanks," Haley began, but caught herself. "Thank you, Fili. This was most kind of you. I am in your debt."

Fili was finding himself amused by her occasional strange use of the common tongue. By now, they'd walked away from the food stall and were making their way up the street. Gandalf had been silent for a time, walking on Fili's left while Haley was on Fili's right.

Fili said, "Most welcome, little lady. If it doesn't bother you, may I ask where you're from? I couldn't help but notice your interesting way of speech."

The girl smiled. "From very far away, master dwarf."

Fili had no chance to ask for a more specific answer for Gandalf cut in with a question of his own.

The girl's hood had ridden up a little more. He could see her face from half of her nose down, and he confirmed the color of her hair: jet black. Her slightly squat nose and beardless chin with a small round birthmark on the lower left reminded him of someone, a person he'd seen several months back in the Blue Mountains, on a not so very peaceful night. Attempted burglary of an old dwarven heirloom, the residents had told him.

"My dear Haley, have met we met before?" came the question.

Haley's smile remained steady and she pondered. "I'm sorry, Mister Gandalf, but I do not think we have."

Hm. Was she telling the truth and was he mistaken (the person she reminded him of had been quite far away that night, after all), or was she expertly lying? Had he been less perceptive, he might've not even had any second guesses at her reply. Eventually, he let it go and filed the encounter away in his mind, perhaps for another time.

Fili had been listening to the short exchange, curious all the way but not doubting the girl in the least. His thoughts were drawn away from the conversation when he chanced a glance at the sinking sun on the horizon. The revelation of its position in the sky caused him to visibly start, earning the attention of the two next to him.

"Gandalf, I think we're expected in the main halls in an hour," the prince said, inwardly grumbling at the distance between them and Erebor.

"Oh, hm, yes, you are right, Fili. Let us be off, then. Good day to you, Haley. Best evacuate with your family soon."

"Good day to you then, Mister Gandalf," Haley said and looked at Fili. "Good day to you, Fili. Thank you for this, again." Her gaze traveled to the loaded basket in her arms.

"My pleasure, Haley. I'll be more careful of where I step next time!"

Haley's left hand twitched and her lips pursed as if she was restraining herself from giving him a reply of some sort. The two males, however, failed to notice this for they'd dipped their heads in a hurried farewell and had turned their backs to her, moving ever up the street with renewed purpose.

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><p>Haley stood in the shadow of a house at the bottom of the path, staring up after the man and dwarf until they disappeared amongst the crowd. For a few long moments, all she could hear were the cacophony of voices, bleats, neighs, barks, footsteps, shuffles and tiny ringing dancing around her. She was an unwavering rock amidst the moving sea of men and dwarves.<p>

Suddenly, she spun on her heel and started back down the lane in the direction of the inn. "Seriously...people on this backwater planet are so funny."

No stranger had ever offered to _actually accompany _her to replace the item they'd damaged and thrown in a little extra in the process.

She was highly amused.

The little event had brought her out of the mood she'd been in before bumping into the dwarf and old man. She felt like a cloud had been lifted from her mind now that her attention had been momentarily whisked away from her problem (and especially since she had an apple pie in her basket). She'd be able to think more clearly now.

Her way of speaking had slipped several times during the conversation, true. Her teacher was usually the one conversing with the locals, and he was the one who was good at languages and mimicking accents. Not her. She was trying, and still failing. The old man had also found her familiar. She couldn't fathom from where, but none of that mattered much to her now.

She was sure she'd never cross paths with the dwarf and old man again.

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><p>"...right?"<p>

A stocky hand waved itself in front of the daydreaming Fili's face. The blond prince met the chocolate brown eyes of his brother, Kili.

"What?" the older muttered, returning to his act of stacking wooden crates from Esgaroth.

"I said, are you alright, brother? All this preparing taking a toll on you?"

"Just a little tired, is all." He'd been working for hours now.

Kili gave his brother a firm pat on the back, and plopped onto a crate on Fili's left without permission, earning a pointed look from the other. "I don't understand what the fuss is all about. Combining our strengths, evacuating the women and children. The enemy is but a...ball of white light,"

"A ball of white light that has been terrorizing the country side for half a year, that has not been brought down by Gandalf or any other wizard, nor the shadows that pursue it. Do not let its appearances fool you, Kili," Fili admonished, although none of them had actually laid eyes on it before.

Everything was just based on what news Gandalf had brought them.

"I'm aware of that, but...it's just so strange. Hard to believe, really."

"I know. All we can do now is wait. With luck, we will be able to speak with the 'shadows' before any battle that may ensue."

"What do you think they look like?" Kili mused with a childlike twinkle in his eye. The young dwarf had always been easily excited by tales of adventures and the strange beings that sometimes made their appearance.

"Gandalf believes them to be spirits."

"Spirits? Of what?"

"Of an ancient age, is all he said."

"Servants of a higher power, then?" Kili's eyes were shining now. "When did he tell you this, brother?"

"When we went to see Bard yesterday, when-"

When he bumped into a girl named Haley and helped her refill her shopping basket.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered if the odd human child he'd met in the market had already fled with her family. He hoped so. He didn't know what to expect anymore. Things could end up horribly messy, or perhaps not.

"When what?"

Fili finished up his stacking task. He fixed his younger sibling with a grin, intent on an honest reply, but just then, a dwarven foot soldier in a panic jogged into their line of vision.

"My lords, the light...it has been seen on the horizon!"

All the blood drained from the princes' faces, and an unspoken exchange of nervous words and reassurances passed between them. But as soon as they'd paled, they'd ricocheted back to life and were on their toes in a heartbeat.

"Where are the king and Gandalf?" Fili queried.

"At the front entrance."

"And the shadows?"

"They have not-"

A wave of voices shouting and the metal clink of weapons being drawn rolled in from the front entrance.

It was still too soon.

Granted they didn't know how fast the thing was traveling, but surely it couldn't reach Erebor in less than ten seconds!

So what was all the commotion outside?

The brothers pushed passed the foot soldier and sprinted towards the half closed doors to the world outside the mountain. The doors hadn't been fully opened in preparation for a possible battle. The opening was just wide enough for the troops to come in and out in at most five lines wide with ease.

They were nearing the entrance now. Fili had never felt how such a short distance could take so long to traverse, not since the procession to the tomb where they would bury Thorin's body.

Finally, the princes rounded the corner.

And came to an abrupt halt.

A circle of armored dwarves had formed around two cloaked figures.

All of the dwarves (King Dain being one of them) had drawn their swords or axes, and the cloaked figures were both fingering sheathed weapons beneath their cloaks in kind. Gandalf stood nearby, ready to draw his own sword but apparently choosing to observe for the time being.

Clearly, the two had entered the camp sprawled about the entrance unauthorized, but as to how they'd managed to reach the innermost part unseen until the last minute was what shocked them.

After a quick survey of the scene, Fili's blue eyes landed on the intruders again. One was horribly tall, perhaps as tall as the Grey wizard, and the other was several heads shorter, perhaps an inch or two shorter than Fili. But it was the cloaks that gave them away, or rather, one of them away.

A cloak of deepest blue with silver trim.

Kili and Dain thought they were assassins.

Fili could do nothing but let his jaw drop.

Gandalf had already made the connection.

"So you are the shadows."

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><p><strong>AN: Hi there! Constructive criticism is always welcome! :)**

**Thanks to everyone who's followed and/or reviewed. Hope you enjoy this little story that's been on my mind for quite a while, haha!**


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